Revised descriptions of New Zealand Cenozoic Mollusca from Beu and Maxwell (1990)
| | Revised descriptions of New Zealand Cenozoic Mollusca from Beu and Maxwell (1990) |
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  (Pl. 8d): GS9508, J40/f8803, McCulloch's Bridge, Kaiatan (GNS) |
Beu & Maxwell (1990): Chapter 8; p. 119; pl. 8 d.
Synonymy: Uber (Neverita) pontis Marwick 1924d, p. 571; Polinices (Neverita) pontis
Classification: Naticidae: Poliniceinae
Description: Size moderate for family (height 10-14 mm), ovate, spire about 0.4 total height. Protoconch planorboid, of about 2 smooth whorls. Teleoconch of up to 3.5 whorls, spire whorls gently convex, last whorl strongly convex except for shallowly concave zone just below suture. Suture flush, descending more steeply on last third of last whorl. No sculpture apart from weak growth lines. Aperture semilunular, strongly prosocline; inner lip almost straight, parietal callus moderately thick, continuous with prominent tongue-like pad that nearly fills umbilicus in young shells but leaves a narrow hole in largest specimens. Outer lip strongly prosocline, inclined at about 45° to vertical, almost straight.
Comparison: This is the only New Zealand record of this typically warm-water genus. It may be distinguished from Polinices (Polinella) esdailei (see below) by its smaller protoconch, its less widely spreading umbilical callus and its more strongly prosocline outer lip. Taniella notocenica (Pl. 20f) has a marked gap between the umbilical callus (or funicle) and the parietal callus, and also has a less strongly prosocline outer lip. The very small size compared with Recent tropical Neverita species and the main distribution of Neverita and related genera in tropical America - apart from the related genus Conuber in Australia - suggest the possibility that this is a New Zealand homeomorph of Neverita, but it was retained in Neverita by Maxwell (1992, p. 102).
Distribution: Kaiatan, Waihao Greensand, McCulloch's Bridge (type) (uncommon).
Cite this publication as: "A.G. Beu and J.I. Raine (2009). Revised
descriptions of New Zealand Cenozoic Mollusca from Beu and Maxwell (1990). GNS
Science miscellaneous series no. 27."
© GNS Science, 2009
ISBN
978-0-478-19705-1
ISSN 1177-2441
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copy of New Zealand Geological Survey Paleontological Bulletin 58 in CD version
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Zealand)